NBA fans are accustomed to seeing great shooting displays from Ben Gordon -- just not since he has been wearing a Pistons jersey.

His 45 points on an NBA-record-tying 9-for-9 night from three-point land in Wednesday's 116-115 loss to the Nuggets, three points shy of a career high, was on the high end when it comes to performance. But it was a reminder why the Pistons signed him to a five-year, $55-million deal in the summer of 2009 that fans mostly had cursed since the ink dried.